Paul Ferraro Update

According to the Bangor Daily News in Maine, our classmate dubbed "Coach" is on the move:

Defensive coordinator leaves UMaine football for University of Central Florida

By Larry Mahoney, BDN Staff

Posted Dec. 31, 2013, at 7:04 p.m.

Paul Ferraro, the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach for the University of Maine’s football team the past two seasons, has left to become the defensive coordinator at the University of Central Florida.

Ferraro played an important role in helping the 10-3 Black Bears capture their first outright Colonial Athletic Association championship.

UCF is the nation’s 15th-ranked team in the Football Bowl Subdivision and will play No. 6 Baylor in the Fiesta Bowl on Wednesday night in Glendale, Ariz.

Ferraro will replace Jim Fleming, who recently was named the head football coach at the University of Rhode Island, one of Maine’s Colonial Athletic Association opponents.

Ferraro is joining the Golden Knights for the bowl game but won’t be coaching.

Under Ferraro’s guidance, the Black Bear defense ranked among the top three in six categories in the 11-team CAA.

The Black Bears led the league in pass defense, allowing just 176.9 yards per game overall, pass defense efficiency (105.3) and fourth-down conversions allowed (28.6 percent); tied for second in turnover margin (plus-four) and were third in scoring defense (22.1 points per game) and total defense (342.2 yards per game).

In 2012, Maine led the league in scoring defense (19.5 ppg) and pass defense efficiency (107.6) and were second in pass defense (179.5 ypg).

We wish him well in sunny Florida.